White Sands National Monument Recent Resource Projects

Hydrology Research:

Elizabeth Walsh – Biodiversity and biogeography of selected invertebrates in Chihuahuan Desert waters.

Purpose of study: There have been few studies of zooplankton occurring in seasonal aquatic habitats in the Chihuahuan desert, areas of the desert that only have water in them when there is rainfall. In general Chihuahuan desert waters have high levels of endemism in their molluscan and fish faunas. It is predicted that unique species of zooplankton occur as well. The purpose of this study is to include zooplankton found in the Park in a large-scale ecological and molecular phylogeographic study of zooplankton in Chihuahuan desert waters.

Richard Langford- Investigation of the Dunes and Hydrology at White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: To determine the processes that shapes the dunes; height, width and spacing to each other and other factors including vegetation size and density. The study will combine field work with analysis of satellite imagery and aerial photographs. Historical photographs will be used to document dune migration histories over the last 20-30 years.

Brad Newton- Hydrologic investigation at White Sands National Monument

Purpose of study: The goals of this study are to research the sources of water for White Sands National Monument. Ground water is found just beneath the sand dunes at White Sands; this is something that will be compared to areas that have a ground water source found much deeper.

Giora Kidron- The hydrological effect of Micro biotic crusts in White Sands.

Purpose of study: Plants from the family Chenopodiacea are well represented in a variety of ecosystems ranging from temperate to extreme. Many species are uniquely salt tolerant, others provide forage for wildlife. A few, such as beets and spinach, are grown commercially for food.Many of these microbes are difficult to grow outside of the plant and easily escape detection. However, the powerful symbiosis that exists between these microbes and their host plants may explain the adaptability of these plants to extreme environments. A detailed study of Chenopodiacea and associated microbes will facilitate understanding mechanisms of host-symbiont interactions that will have important applications in revegetation projects, general agriculture, and biotechnology. Wildlife Research:

Eric Metzler-Estimation of insects, especially moths (Lepidoptera) at White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: The purposes of the study are to find correspondence between species distributions within specialized habitats within the Monument and to create species richness data. Habitat types may be crucial to the survival of some species.

Erica Rosenblum- Adaptations of camouflage: predation on lizards at White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: Lightened coloration in lizards at White Sands is clearly an adaptation for living on the gypsum substrate, but how did this trait evolve? Evolution requires a mechanism for natural selection. It is often presumed that substrate-matching is an important adaptation to avoid predation. Particularly for small diurnal animals subject to visual predators, camouflage can be the key to survival.

David Lightfoot- An inventory survey of ground- dwelling arthropods of White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: The purpose of this proposed research is to inventory White Sands National Monument arthropods that are ground-dwelling, and to discover new species which also may be endemic to White Sands.

Diana Sue Katz- Isolation and Characterization of halophilic microorganisms in White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: Little work has been done on microbial populations at White Sands. Our proposal is to survey selected regions within White Sands National Monument to characterize the archaeal and bacterial species which are present. Archaea will be further studied to determine whether they produce halocins (small protein antimicrobials).

David Hanni- Monitoring land birds in Chihuahua Desert park units: White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: Many bird species serve as indicators of habitat quality, with changes in their populations linked to changes in ecological health (Morrison 1986; Hutto 1998; Rich et al. 2004). Effective population monitoring identifies species at particular risk, tracks population trends over time and assesses the effects of land management decisions on breeding bird habitat. Many breeding birds in the desert southwest are identified as priority species for conservation in wildlife plans. Despite the widespread use of monitoring to address these issues, there is an ongoing need to coordinate bird monitoring among organizations and integrate them across regional and international boundaries.

Zoltan Fuzessery- The development of response selectivity(response to other bats) in the Pallid bat auditory system.

Purpose of study: The purpose of this study is to expand knowledge of the response selectivity of sounds for the Pallid bat. This study is to indicate if the bats will respond to only their own species or to other bat species as well. The study involves a range of different aged bats from juvenile to adult found in differing environments. This will help determine the development sustainability of the Pallid bats and their auditory system.

Geology Research:

Chris Okubo- Characterization of the mechanical strength of evaporate-rich sands

Purpose of study:

The proposed work in White Sands National Monument will support a multi-year, multi- agency research project funded by NASA’s Mars Fundamental Research Program. This NASA-funded research seeks to investigate patterns of past groundwater flow, as controlled by faults, through equatorial sedimentary deposits on Mars. The purity and geologic environment of the gypsum-rich sands of White Sands National Monument makes these deposits the best terrestrial analogs to the evaporate-rich sedimentary deposits on Mars.

Matthew Van Dam- Comparative phylogeography of dune restricted insects in the desert southwest.

Purpose of study: The primary objective is to examine the historical movement or biogegraphic patterns of dune restricted insects of the desert Southwest. To examine the history of the dunes along with wildlife we hope to find comparisons between the dune movement and insect restrictions.

Gary Kocurek- LIDAR surveys of the White Sands Dune field.

Purpose of study: The proposed work is the first OSL dating of gypsum sand, allowing for the direct determination of age and chronology of development of the White Sands dune field, New Mexico. The age of the field is now only indirectly estimated and few details of its development over time are known. One core will be dated at numerous points and these ages will be correlated with interpretations of the sediment from past samples and rock layers to indicate the history of the field, as revealed in the second core.

Patrick Hesp-Parabolic dune dynamics at White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: The purpose of this research is to examine- the initiation and evolution of parabolic dunes from barchans and transverse dunes, the relationships between parabolic dune forms and migration rates and vegetation distribution and cover, and the interrelationships between dunes and climate as the dunes potentially respond and adjust to climate change. This project will enhance knowledge of parabolic dune evolution and dynamics, plant-dune interactions, the effects of climate change on the monument’s unique ecosystems and microhabitats, and will aid in the understanding, interpretation, and preservation of the White Sands for recreation, education, and scientific purposes.

James Bauchert- The making of a soil survey covering White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Purpose of study: This study is for conducting a soil survey of White Sands National Monument through an interagency agreement between the NRCS and NPS. It contains information regarding the status of soil data for the area. This will contain information regarding the current soil status as well as past soil status of White Sands. Catherine Borer- A preliminary evaluation of calcium partitioning (calcium break-down)and sequestration(making the calcium non-reactive) in plant foliage from White Sands National Monument, an extremely high-calcium site.

Purpose of study: Calcium (Ca) is an essential macronutrient, but its concentration within the cytoplasm of all cells must be maintained at low levels to avoid Ca toxicity. Too much Ca can occur in locations with high-Ca parent material and soils, such as the gypsum found at White Sands National Monument, and in crops growing in arid locations, when they are irrigated with hard water.

Genevieve Walden- Phylogenetic analysis of sectional and species level relationships within Phacelia (Boraginaceae) inferred from chloroplast and nuclear data.

Purpose of study: This proposal is in support of master’s research to sample the genus Phacelia (Boraginaceae) and infer phylogenetic relationships from chloroplast and nuclear sequences. Phacelia species occurring in White Sands National Monument will provide interesting genetic data and potential identification of speciation. This research proposal unites taxonomy, conservation biology and molecular systematics to resolve relationships within Phacelia. My systematic research offers important information for conservation biology by providing new specimen collections of rare and endangered species, powerful molecular analyses to infer relationships within the genus for evolutionary biology, and will provide a solid foundation for further research within and beyond Phacelia.

Mary Lucero- The diversity of Chenopodiacea and associated Endophytes.

Purpose of study: Plants from the family Chenopodiacea are well represented in a variety of ecosystems ranging from temperate to extreme. Like many plants, Chenopods are associated with complex communities of endophytic microbes. Many of these microbes are difficult to grow outside of the plant and easily escape detection. However, the powerful symbiosis that exists between these microbes and their host plants may explain the adaptability of these plants to extreme environments. A detailed study of Chenopodiacea and associated microbes will facilitate understanding mechanisms of host-symbiont interactions that will have important applications in revegetation projects, general agriculture, and biotechnology.

Esteban Muldavin- A map of Salt Cedar distribution on White Sands National Monument.

Purpose of study: This work plans to create a map of Salt Cedar distribution on White Sand National Monument. The Salt Cedar map will be coordinated with the development of the general vegetation map currently being created for the park. A minimum of 100 plots will be collected over an eight- day field session. These maps will be needed to locate and quantify Salt Cedar in the park. Since Salt Cedar is an invasive, non-native species brought from Mongolia it is hazardous to the dunes.